East Allington Primary School

Inspection of East Allington Primary School Church Hill, East Allington, Totnes, Devon TQ9 7RE

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 22 and 23 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff are proud to be part of East Allington School. Pupils’ attitudes to learning and to one another, reflect the school’s values of being active, bold and caring. Pupils know that these values will help them as they grow up. Staff and pupils are proud to belong to a ‘rights respecting school’. Their work supports pupils to understand the importance of social justice, fairness and children’s rights.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a strong sense of belonging to the school. There are positive relationships between staff and pupils. As a result, pupils feel safe and cared for. Staff have high expectations for pupils to be the best they can be. Leaders build close relationships with families. They work well together to meet the needs of pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is calm and purposeful. Pupils behave well. If pupils have a concern, they know they can talk to any adult or seek help from a ‘peer mediator’. Pupils agree that bullying does not happen at East Allington.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. Leaders work closely with the multi-academy trust to develop the school’s curriculum. Leaders set out the knowledge and skills pupils must know in each subject. This enables pupils to know and remember more across the curriculum.

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better?

Children get a strong and secure start in early years. The curriculum is well sequenced. For example, children begin their learning of science with ‘wellie walks’ and ‘leaf detectives’ that connects well to their learning about plants in Year 1. The curriculum is well structured from early years onwards. In mathematics, pupils build on their prior knowledge well. They recall number facts with increasing fluency. This helps them to be confident with problem-solving and reasoning tasks.

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better?

Many subject leaders have expert subject knowledge. Where this is the case, they skilfully evaluate the impact of their subject curriculum. For example, in mathematics teaching regularly checks pupils’ understanding and any misconceptions are addressed quickly. Pupils have a positive attitude to mathematics. However, some subject leaders do not evaluate their subject well enough. As a result, they are not clear how well the curriculum helps pupils to remember what leaders intend.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised reading across the school. Children in the early years learn the sound each letter makes. Pupils use their phonetic knowledge to read with increased fluency and expression. Staff monitor the progress of pupils’ reading across the whole school. Reading lessons are well planned and sequenced. Staff receive regular training in the teaching of reading. However, on occasion this is not used by some staff to deliver phonics with precision. 22 and 23 March 2023

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Staff have a secure understanding of individual pupils’ needs. This means the curriculum is adapted well for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders work closely with teachers and parents to identify barriers to learning. Support is well matched to these pupils and enables them to learn confidently and independently.

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There are a wide range of opportunities for pupil’s personal development. As eco- warriors, pupils tend to the vegetables growing in the polytunnel. Peer-mediators support pupils with friendships. The pupil steering group communicates pupils’ views to the leadership of the school. Pupils fundraise to support their link school in Malawi. Pupils learn to be respectful of differences and are passionate that all children have a right to an education. In early years, children manage their feelings and behaviour well. They play purposefully together.

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The trust provides effective support for leaders. The highly experienced local governing body fulfil their statutory duties well. They have an in-depth knowledge of safeguarding. Teachers enjoy working at the school and feel supported by leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders promote a strong safeguarding culture. Record-keeping is accurate and up to date. Staff know what to do if they are concerned about a child. All staff receive regular safeguarding training that helps them to keep pupils safe. Leaders ensure that vulnerable pupils and families are well supported.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to stay safe, including when online. They know not to share any personal information and to report anything suspicious to adults.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some areas of the curriculum, subject leaders are developing their leadership roles. They do not fully evaluate the delivery of the curriculum, and the impact this is having on pupils. Leaders need to ensure that subject leaders refine their skills, so that they help teachers to develop their subject knowledge, and check how well the curriculum is implemented.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection. 22 and 23 March 2023

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The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 22 and 23 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10241838 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 April 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Education South West multi-academy trust.  The headteacher was appointed in 2016.  The school is smaller than the average primary school.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the director of school improvement, the special educational needs coordinator, designated safeguarding lead, and representatives from the local governing body and the trust.  Inspectors did deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and French. They met with senior leaders and class teachers. They also visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke with them about their experience in 22 and 23 March 2023

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school. Inspectors listened to pupils read to a trusted adult. On the second day of the inspection, the inspector looked at a range of other subjects.  Inspectors observed pupil’s behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey for parents. Inspectors also evaluated responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey.

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Inspection team

James Gentile, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Sally Hannaford Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 March 2023

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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